Combination optical and millimeter wavelength camera

Abstract

The disclosed handheld camera device is a combination digital optical and millimeter wavelength (MMW) camera. In contrast to an optical camera, the MMW camera detects frequencies between 3-300 GHz making the MMW camera especially good at seeing metallic objects under garments, such as concealed weapons on a person or in a bag. The MMW camera can be arranged to point in the same field-of-view as the optical camera so that when an MMW image is taken it is automatically framed within the optical camera field-of-view. In certain configurations, the MMW camera takes a plurality of MMW images defined within an MMW field-of-view. In the case where the MMW field-of-view is smaller than the optical camera field-of-view, the multiple MMW images can be stitched together and overlaid on the optical image of the same scene to show a metallic object superimposed over a subject of interest.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A detector comprising:
 a digital optical camera having a line of sight and an optical camera field-of-view;   a millimeter wavelength (MMW) camera including at least one MMW antenna, at least one MMW collecting horn and only one MMW sensor that is a single pixel MMW sensor, the MMW camera essentially pointing in the line of sight, the MMW camera having an MMW camera field-of-view, the MMW camera field-of-view is smaller than the optical camera field-of-view;   a computer system with a microprocessor and non-transitory memory operable with a display;   an overlay MMW and optical image verification algorithm that overlays a plurality of successively captured MMW images obtained from the MMW camera with an optical image obtained from the digital optical camera, the verification algorithm retained in the non-transitory memory and executed by the microprocessor.   
     
     
         2 . The detector of  claim 1 , wherein the MMW camera is a passive MMW camera. 
     
     
         3 . The detector of  claim 1  further comprising an optical light source that emits light in a light frequency between ultraviolet and infrared in the optical camera field-of-view that is detected by the optical camera and/or an MMW radiation source that emits radiation between 3-300 GHz in the MMW camera field-of-view. 
     
     
         4 . The detector of  claim 1  further comprising a housing that essentially houses the digital optical camera and the MMW camera. 
     
     
         5 . The detector of  claim 1  wherein the optical image includes a living subject image and an overall MMW image that includes at least one metallic object image that is superimposed over the living subject image, the overall MMW image is a compilation of the plurality of the MMW images. 
     
     
         6 . The detector of  claim 1  wherein the optical image includes an image of a bag and an overall MMW image that includes at least one metallic image that is superimposed over the image of a bag, the overall MMW image is a compilation of the plurality of the MMW images. 
     
     
         7 . The detector of  claim 1  wherein the detector is handheld and further comprises a stitching algorithm retained in the non-transitory memory and an overall MMW image displayed on the display, the overall MMW image is essentially a contiguous compilation of a plurality of the MMW images, wherein said plurality of the MMW images are comprised of different pieces of a target captured along an inconsistent path that are stitched together via the stitching algorithm. 
     
     
         8 . A method for capturing a detector image and optical image, the method comprising:
 providing a detector device that includes a digital optical camera having an optical field-of-view defining an optical image perimeter, a millimeter wavelength (MMW) camera having an MMW field-of-view, a microprocessor and non-transitory memory;   capturing a digital optical image of a subject with the digital optical camera;   storing the digital optical image in the non-transitory memory;   taking a plurality of MMW images of a plurality of different portions of the subject; and   overlaying the plurality of MMW images over the digital optical image within the optical image perimeter until at least a portion of interest of the digital optical image is essentially completely overlaid with a contiguous assembly of the MMW images.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising stitching together the plurality of MMW images into the contiguous assembly that is a single overall MMW image of at least part of the subject. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the stitching together step is accomplished via an overlay MMW and optical image verification algorithm that is retained in the non-transitory memory and executed by the microprocessor. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the contiguous assembly is a single overall MMW image that is equal to or smaller than the digital optical image. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising an end-user holding the detector device in their hand, viewing the plurality of MMW images on a display screen overlaid on the digital optical image while taking each of the plurality of MMW images, the display screen is integrated with the detector device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the MMW camera is a passive MMW camera that includes at least one MMW antenna, at least one MMW collecting horn and only one MMW sensor that is a one-pixel MMW sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising taking an external optical perimeter MMW image that is outside of the digital optical image field-of-view, taking a second optical image that is at least partially outside of the digital optical image field-of-view. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising identifying a metallic object in the plurality of MMW images. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising alerting an end user of the identified metal object. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the MMW camera and the optical camera essentially pointing in a common line of sight, the MMW camera having an MMW camera field-of-view, the MMW camera field-of-view is smaller than the optical camera field-of-view. 
     
     
         18 . A combination camera detector device comprising:
 a digital optical camera possessing an optical camera field-of-view, the digital optical camera configured to capture an optical image of a person;   a millimeter wavelength (MMW) camera possessing an MMW camera field-of-view that is less than or equal to the optical camera field-of-view, the MMW camera configured to capture a plurality of MMW images wherein each of the MMW images is of a different portion of the person,   the MMW camera pointing in a direction that is within the optical camera field-of-view;   a microprocessor and non-transitory memory operable with a display; and   an overlay algorithm configured to overlay the plurality of MMW images over the optical image in a combined image, the combined image is an overlay of each of the plurality of MMW images matched to the optical image, the overlay algorithm retained in the non-transitory memory and executed by the microprocessor.   
     
     
         19 . The combination camera detector device of  claim 18  further comprising an overlaid displayed image of an overall MMW image consisting of a contiguous arrangement of the plurality of MMW images that is superimposed on the optical image. 
     
     
         20 . The combination camera detector device of  claim 18  further comprising means for moving the MMW camera within the optical camera field-of-view to obtain the plurality of MMW images.